french



(No Model.)

- A. S. FRENCH.

SHOE FASTENER.

No. 444,824. 4 Patented Jan. 20, 1891.

ATTORNEY.

ans :0 PHOTO-TELL, msmncmu, n. c.

UNrTEn STATES PA'rEN'r @EEICE.

ALVAH S. FRENCH, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

SHOE- -FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,824, dated January20, 1891.

Applicationfiled January 25,1890. Serial No. 338,080. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVAH S. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Means of Fastening Shoes; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, which will enable any one skilled in the art towhich the said improvements appertain to make and use the same. A

My invention relates to that class of fastening devices for shoes whichconsist generally of a series of clasps, clamps, or slidessecured to astrap at intervals along its length, and engaging with ribs, strips,runners, 0r enlarged edges upon the flaps of the opening in the shoe,said clamps serving to close the said opening by being s1id along suchribs, strips, runners, or enlarged edges.

A great difficulty in the devices of the class described has been thatthe successive clasps would not reliably engage with the ribs orenlarged edges as the strap was pulled up along said ribs or edges toclose the opening in the shoe. To obviate this difficulty it has beenproposed that the lower end of the strap be secured to the shoe belowthe opening and the clasp's slid up and down the enlarged edges or ribswithout becoming disengaged from them 3 but this would result in havingthe strap and clasps pushed together in a very. clumsy way at the bottomof the opening when the shoe is taken off, and would make it difficultto withdraw the foot.

The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby in such afastening device the successive clasps or clamps will be started uponand will reliably engage with the enlarged edges or ribs upon the flapsas the strap is drawn up along said edges or ribs without necessarilyhaving said strap secured to the shoe at any point.

My invention is shown by the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which similar letters denote similar parts.

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the upper and flaps of a shoe, showingthe strap D,the clasps E E, and the guide I-I. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionof Fig. 1 through the line X X. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a part ofFig. 1,

with the guide-band detached on one side andthrown back so as to showthe ends T T and the opening S. Fig. l is a perspective view of thestrap D with the clasps E attached. 1

A is the upper of a shoe.

B is the opening.

The edges 0 G of the shoe-flaps are each suitably enlarged beyond thethickness of the shoe-upper and its lining either by fastening a stripof leather or other suitable material upon said edge or under it bysuitable means or in some other suitable way. The enlarged edges 0 O areshaped in cross-section so as to conform to the shape in cross: sectionof the recesses or grooves, hereinafter described, in the clasps orclamps E. E is a clasp or clamp made of sheet metal or other suitablematerial, having in transverse section substantially the shape of a Z.This clasp is provided with two enlarged recesses or grooves, one aboveand one below the diagonal part of the Z, said recesses or grooveshaving openings J in the side, which openings are large enough to admitthe part of the flaps adjacent to the enlarged edges or ribs 0 C, buttoo small, relative to the greatest thickness of said enlarged edges, topermit their withdrawal in the direction of the tension or strain uponthe flaps of the shoe.

D is a strap of leather or other suitable flexible material, having theclasps E secured to it at intervals along its length by sewing,riveting, or other suitable means. In the d rawin a rivet R is shown.The lower ends of the edges or ribs 0 are left free and may be finishedoff in a point T T. A small opening S may be left in the upper at one ofthe ends T, by which the lower part of the clasp E, when properlyguided, will pass beneath one of the enlarged edges or ribs 0, while theupper part will pass over and outside the other enlargcdedge, the claspE thus engaging with the edges 0 C.

To insure the successive olasps E .E being properly started on theenlarged edges 0 O and thus reliably engaging with the same, I employ aguide-band consisting of a strip of leather or other suitable materialsecured by suitable means to the shoe-upper on either side of the'ends TT of the enlarged edges 0 0 and forming a low arch over said ends.

The guide-band extends longitudinally from a short distance above theends T T to some distance below them. The arch formed by the guide-bandis of such a height above the surface of the upper as just to allow thestrap D, with clasps E attached, to be drawn readily under it, and thewidth of the arch tapers from just the width of the clasp E, where thearch covers the points T T, to a broad flaring mouth K at the lower edgeof the arch or guide-band. In practice itwill not be found necessary toremove the strap D entirely upon taking the shoe oft, but the uppermostclasp may be left engaged with the edges 0 C. Should, however, the strapD have been entirely removed, itmay be started again by passing the tabL under and through the guideband or arch H. The tab being through thearch is pulled upward. As each successive clasp E passes into and underthe arch or guide-band II, it will be drawn into position by thetapering form of the arch, and will slip onto and engage with theenlarged edges 0 0, being prevented from diverging from its propercourse by the close-fitting walls of the arch or guide-band II. I thusmake fastenin g devices of the class herein described practicable andcertain in action without the inconvenience resulting from attachingoneend of the strap D iininovably to the shoe.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of clasp or slide, havingchosen the one herein described for convenience. Nor do I limit myselfto the particular form of runners shown, consisting of enlarged edges onthe flaps; but

I desire to cover all devices of the class de scribed in connection withthe guideband or arch II.

I do not in this application claim, broadly, a fastening deviceconsisting of a series of clasps or slides secured to a strap atintervals along its length and engaging with ribs or runners upon theflaps of the shoe; but

IVhat I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a shoe-fastening device having a strap, sliding clasps, and runners,a guide-band secured to the shoe on either side of the lower ends of therunners and forming an arch over said ends, said arch being shaped toguide the successive clasps on to the runners as the strap is drawn intoplace, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

2. In a shoe-fastening device having a strap with sliding claspsattached and runners on the flaps of the shoes with which the claspsengage, aguide-band secured to the shoe and forming an open arch overthe lower ends of the ribs or runners, said arch being of suitableheight above the surface of the upper, so that the strap with claspsattached will pass underit, and tapering in width so as to guide thesuccessive clasps onto the runners and insure their reliably engagingwith the same when the strap is pulled in o place, substantially asshown and described.

ALVAH S. FRENCH. In presence of- 1 CLAIR TREAT, N. P. '1. FINCH.

